It wasn't always this way: what was once an afterthought across the river from Manhattan, populated by large Italian families and low-income project-dwellers, has gone through an extensive gentrification process. The result is a combination of million dollar brownstones, inundated day cares, and disgruntled former residents.

From the restaurant row and bar crawl of Smith Street to the regal homes of some of New York's wealthiest citizens, one thing is undeniable about BoCoCa: it's a great place to spend the day, whether eating, drinking, or strolling along the Brooklyn Promenade.

The BoCoCa area is easily accessible by train, whether coming from Manhattan or another part of the borough. The F train can bring you to the Carroll Street Station from downtown Manhattan in less than 20 minutes.

Upon arriving, a stroll down any residential block off of Court or Smith Street will reveal the heart of the area: the brownstones. These classic buildings now routinely fetch several million dollars, and that's before renovations.

A realtor from Brooklyn Real told us that finding deals for houses, brownstone or not, under a million dollars is "nearly impossible" today. Still, families with money continue to populate the neighborhood.

Though many different styles of brownstones exist — especially today when the soft stone needs to be replaced with brick — shared characteristics such as high ceilings and backyards make all the homes in this area equally desirable.

Eric Goldschein

Smith Street in Cobble Hill has become the area's restaurant row, after suffering for years with a sinking, pot-hole ridden pavement and seedy reputation. The wood seen in this picture will power a wood-burning pizza oven.

Most Friday and Saturday nights, the local bars host a scene full of young revelers and old-time drinkers alike. Ceol, seen below, is a popular Irish pub that opens out into the street on warm nights.

A common sight in the area: young people, seemingly without a 9-to-5 gig, kicking back and enjoying a drink in the middle of the day

Eric Goldschein

But some non-eatery establishments are feeling the burn of revitalization. Dry goods store Marietta on Court St. has seen "a 50 percent drop in business" in the last few years, according to co-owner Joseph. Whether that's from the advent of computers or the modern smaller families that don't need to buy as much underwear, Joe couldn't say.

On the other hand, hope for the future was much more abundant at Mazzone's True Value, a hardware store that dates back three family generations and over 6 decades. The Mazzone family took a small wallpaper store and turned it into a staple of the Carroll Gardens neighborhood.

In 1975, the Mazzone's were told that a renovation of their store was a poor choice, as "the neighborhood did not warrant it." Now, even with the recent openings of Lowe's and Home Depot nearby, business is better than ever thanks to "positively outrageous service."

According to Vincent, "A sense of community has come back. The neighborhood started to become, say, gentrified, and what you had coming in was couples, singles, professionals and little to no children. But as time went on things have started to change. What looked like it was just a bedroom community, now the families are really strong again. And with that you see a lot more community involvement."

Courtesty of Vincent Mazzone

But not everyone sees the newcomers to the community as a positive influence. Alessandro, the owner of tapas bar and restaurant Palo Cortado, says that "There’s still a neighborhood feel. Everybody has an eye for each other, kind to each other. But I’m afraid the sense of community could be gone soon. It’s getting colder."

According to Alessandro, corporate entities like Union Market are still not a big force in the neighborhood, because "people don't want the corporate experience."

But the slow, unyielding advancement of corporations may spell the end for small businesses, like K & Y, which sits just across the street from Union Market.

A perfect example can be seen on Smith Street, where franchises like the Starbucks seen here are becoming more common in the area.

Eric Goldschein

An old double-feature standby, Cobble Hill Cinemas on Court Street tried to change with the times and offer independent and foreign films for awhile. It has since switched back to showing first-run movies.

Eric Goldschein

The family feel to the area is undeniable. Several small parks, including Carroll Park, provide a green, sprinkler-filled oasis in the middle of the neighborhood. "Now Carroll Park is one of the most utilized parks in the whole city," Vincent told us.

And what gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood would be complete without a young mother and stroller tandem?

Pictured here, the annual Pumpkin Fest started by Matthew Mazzone. Said Vincent, "We held the first one right on Court Street and now it’s moved to 4th Place. A few hundred people showed up and now it takes up the whole block. Pony rides, clowns, merchants and sponsors donate food and their services to make this event very popular. We got thousands of people now."

Courtesty of Vincent Mazzone

The gorgeous Brooklyn Promenade, just a few minutes away from BoCoCa, reminds residents that the city is just across the river (and if you can't live there, you might as well be able to look at it whenever you'd like). That feeling of closeness — be it to Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights, or to each other — may be the strongest draw of all.